Melendez patient in quest to be No. 1

Strikeforce fighter seeking UFC title

Obviously a loss to Jorge Masvidal in the main event of the Strikeforce show at Valley View Casino Center would take Melendez out of any pound-for-pound fighter discussions.

But now even a win doesn’t guarantee the 29-year-old Melendez his first shot in the UFC at the 155-pound weight class.

That seemed like a foregone conclusion before Thursday’s announcement that Strikeforce would extend its current contract with Showtime through 2012 and keep big names like Melendez in the promotion instead of moving them into UFC, which is what the organization did with former Strikeforce champs Nick Diaz, Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem.

“The goal is to be No. 1 in the world,” said Melendez, a California native and Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu disciple. “If I have to beat Jorge, if I have to beat someone else, if I have to beat five more people before that, then so be it.

“But I think I deserve a chance at that UFC title now. If I can get it as soon as possible, that would be great. If not, I’ll keep winning and keep working hard and if I have to constantly keep proving myself in this MMA industry, then so be it.”

Melendez (19-2 career MMA record) could get a stiff test against Masvidal (22-6), who started fighting on the same underground circuit that made YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice famous in Florida.

The 27-year-old striker is a perfect 4-0 in Strikeforce and coming off an impressive victory over K.J. Noons — a San Diegan who takes on California native Billy Evangelista on tonight’s main card, which airs via tape-delay at 10:30 on Showtime.

While the bout is Masvidal’s first major title fight, he says the opportunity to fight a top-notched fighter like Melendez is actually more important.

“It means a lot. Fighting not just for a championship; fighting a top brand guy,” he said. “He’s the No. 1 and No. 2 in most peoples’ opinion. That’s what really matters to me. The belt I could really care less for it.”

San Diegan and Strikeforce women’s 145-pound champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos returns to the cage for the first time in 18 months in a featherweight championship fight, which serves as the night’s co-main event, against Japan’s Hiroko Yamanaka, who is 12-1 with an eight-fight win streak.

Also on the televised portion of the card, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi faces Ovince St. Preux, who played defensive end/linebacker at Tennessee during the early 2000s.